On the topic of the recently controversial riot police piece in the “small spaces: Lafayette” project:

What is the criteria for good art? I have come to learn that it is the pieces that are provocative. There are many ways of interpreting the term “provocative” in it’s relation to art. In this case, the piece produced fear. Ironically, I believe that the people who feared this piece were the same people who induce fear into many more people every day and are also the people we call on to protect our personal freedoms, including the right to free speech. It is what this whole conversation boils down to. It isn’t an uncommon thought to think these days that the police are not there in our favor. Reactions like this to a public art piece doesn’t help the current stereotype we have of the police for as whole.

I see a mighty change coming in regard to that thought. Well, maybe I’m an optimist. I hope our nation’s police force reconsiders its image to the American public, just like a town has a right to reconsider how it displays itself to its citizens and visitors.

As someone who doesn’t trust the police unless I have known the officers personally prior to whatever interaction we may end up having while they are on duty, this doesn’t help erase mental image of our local law enforcement.

Zach Medler, curator of “small spaces: Lafayette,” was correct in saying that he felt “bullied” to remove the image. He was, and I really and truly feel that our law enforcement officers do bully people because they can get away with it.

Maybe we should include more humanistic leanings when we educate our police force. Maybe even make them take some art classes. It can only build a better society in the long run. I don’t believe that whoever covered up the piece should have done that.

When I saw the piece, I was immediately taken to an image of a World War II G.I. who had only seen carnage instead of his family and friends for a little too long. Maybe that is a good symbol for what is happening to our police.

I’d like to think I can see both sides of the controversy, but I felt the piece’s cadence was more of a memorial (which the artist, Aaron Molden, actually intended it as and explained in the J&C) to the police force. I was not offended, and if there was any offense intended, it wasn’t any less than seeing a full-on, battle-prepared, military vehicle repurposed for local use against local citizens.

Our police officers have a job to do. It is dangerous. I respect that. However, we also need the arts in the community, and they need to be displayed in a manner where they are accessible to everyone. Instead of jumping to conclusions, maybe a little more investigative work could be done before pulling the bully strings – in general, not just in the incident of a subversive painting placed in a perfect spot to get a point across.

On the flip side, artists (and everyone, really) need to stand up for their right to express themselves. It turns out that this is one of the basic building blocks of our society in America, and we can’t afford to give it up without a serious fight, even if canvas and paintbrushes don’t seem to carry the same weight as a sidearm and a set of handcuffs.